The Hindu : Andhra Pradesh News : Navodaya schools look to Tamil Nadu

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Wednesday, Sep 29, 2004

Andhra Pradesh

Andhra Pradesh

Navodaya schools look to Tamil Nadu

By Our Special Correspondent

ONGOLE, SEPT. 28. The Navodaya Vidyalaya Samithi is making all out efforts to start schools in Tamil Nadu, the only State remaining out of its purview till now.

Speaking to The Hindu here today, the regional officer of the samithi, K. Sadagopan, who is in chare of the southern States, said all efforts are being made to persuade the Tamil Nadu Government to join the rest of the country and augment educational opportunities to its rural poor children.

He said Navodaya Vidyalaya Samithi has been constituted to open schools and tap and nurture the potential of rural children in the country by providing quality education.

It has been able to open 506 schools in all the 33 States and Union Territories in the country except Tamil Nadu, he said.

He pointed out that West Bengal and Tamil Nadu opposed Navodaya Vidyalayas as they entertained certain misapprehensions about the education imparted by them. West Bengal Government, which opposed them for 10 years, relented after studying the experiment in Kerala and it seven Navodaya Vidyalayas were opened in West Bengal last year.

No Hindi bias

In this background, Mr. Sadagopan said the matter has been taken up at the highest level in Tamil Nadu with positive results.

Efforts are being made to remove the perceived apprehension that Hindi might be imposed on its children.

He pointed out that English is the medium of instruction in all the schools from class VII. Though the schools adopt three-language formula, Hindi is taught only up to class IX where there is no detention system.

From class X, the students are required to learn only two languages, English and a regional language. Hindi can be taken up as an optional subject in place of mathematics or biology.

If given permission, NAV would spend Rs. 300 crores to start 30 schools in Tamil Nadu (one in each district) and augment educational opportunities for poor but meritorious students in rural areas.

Also Tamil would be taught in 33 districts across the country in the exchange programme, which is unique for Navodaya Vidyalayas, he said.

Kerala excels

Mr. Sadagopan said the southern region is doing extremely well in the country in imparting education through Navodaya Vidyalayas. Among the southern States, Kerala stood first in education, sports and athletics while Karnataka excelled in imparting values. Parents have high regard for teachers in Karnataka which in turn helps teachers perform better.

In Andhra Pradesh, though the quality of education is high, much is left to be done on the parent-teacher relationship front.

If parents develop confidence in teachers and reduce their interference in administrative matters, the schools can do better here, he felt.

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